Lauren Karle is a potter and social artist inspired by people – their food, traditions, and place. Lauren’s goal is to have her work serve a purpose beyond its utilitarian function by designing it for who and how it will be used. Lauren’s aesthetic is inspired by the two and a half years she lived in Guatemala and her work evolves with both the people she meets and the places she goes. Lauren currently lives in rural New Mexico making, writing, teaching, collaborating, and always learning.

Malcolm Greenwood’s focus on production has allowed Malcolm to develop a level of skill and discipline which continually brings more simplicity and freedom to both his exhibition and production work. Additionally, there is a constant exchange, to and fro, between these contrasting areas of Malcolm’s work. Great satisfaction is gained for Malcolm from making pieces which are used everyday by thousands of people. Chefs around the Australia are creating mini sculptures of which Malcolm’s tableware is an integral part… visual feasts for their customers.

What began as a small garage operation is now an established pottery studio, employing over 20 Waco locals, many of whom are studying artists. Jonathan Martin began throwing pottery in high school, studied Studio Art at Baylor University and after several years of teaching and working for a short time for a start-up in Silicon Valley, decided to pursue pottery full-time.

Originally, Jonathan was looking for a shape he could put his hands to, perfect, and then create something both beautiful and functional. Thus, the signature Black Oak coffee mug was born. Shortly after creating his first round of mugs, Jonathan was approached by a local coffee shop owner, who asked if he could create a custom logo design to sell in their shop.

As demand for the those mugs increased with multiple other customers, his line has expanded to all types of functional pieces. And although the volume of pieces being produced each week has increased dramatically, something that makes the studio unique is that each piece is still handmade. Rather than a production assembly line, Jonathan has gathered together a community of artists looking to perfect their design and craft and work at an inspiring local business with other like-minded individuals. They work together to create quality handmade goods.

Austin Wieland is a ceramic sculptor living in Georgia. He was born and raised in Bryan, Ohio and began working with clay in High School. He received his BFA from Miami University of Ohio in 2011 with a studio concentration in Ceramics and Minor in Arts Management. In 2015, he graduated from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania with a MFA in Ceramics. Currently, Wieland is the Assistant Professor of Ceramics and Sculpture at LaGrange College in LaGrange, Georgia.

Pierre Bounaud is a French ceramic artist who made his home in San Diego, California. Pierre’s ceramic work reflects his training as a chemist, fearlessly pushing the limits of glaze-dom and experimenting with a variety of techniques to create unique contrasting surface decorations. His current work includes colorful saggar-fired vessels, crystalline glaze wall plates, and his White Crackle series of functional and decorative wares.

Born and raised in Hangzhou, China, Shiyuan Xu received her BA from China Academy of Art in 2012, and MFA from Arizona State University in 2016. Completed a summer residency at Archie Bray Foundation last year, currently Shiyuan is the resident at Houston Center for Contemporary Craft in Houston. Shiyuan is the recipient of 2017 Ceramics Monthly Emerging Artist.

Kyle Guymon is a potter from Bountiful Utah, and he carves and alters every form to make either by relief or line carvings or distorting the form from the inside out. Imagery comes from elephants, birds, bison and from nature that use the Fibonacci sequence (succulent plants and nautili’s shells)

Josephine Heilpern is the founder of Recreation Center- a ceramic studio in Brooklyn, New York. Josephine loves to experiment in her studio in order to come up with original designs. Josephine’s work has caught the attention of numerous like The World of Interiors, bon appetit, Sight Unseen, and many more. In a feture article in Frame Work magazine, Josephine said, “I wanted to make things that were functional, could be used everyday, and were affordable – to me, that’s really important.”

Trevor Youngberg is a wood-fire potter from Woodbridge, CT. Trevor teaches High School Ceramics and has woven his passion for clay and teaching into the fabric of his life as a family man, potter, and community member. By employing ceramics as a vehicle for creating uplifting and meaningful shared group experiences, Trevor managed to continue developing as a potter while including students, friends, neighbors, and fellow potters in the varied activities that encircle the making of wood-fired wares.

Martin Swart’s studio is situated on Martin’s family farm near Arniston in the beautiful Overberg, Western Cape, South Africa. Martin lives and works from the family farm and produces a large range of porcelain, stoneware, and earthenware handmade pottery which has been thrown on the potter’s wheel, both for in- and outside use.